Liu Maocai returned home as usual, seemingly without any difference. But how could Li Cuihua, who had been with him for half her life, not notice?
"Honey, quickly drink a bowl of cool water to cool down."
“It’s done. I’ve already had a drink at my mistress’s house. I have to take Jianguo to the city tomorrow. Jianguo will probably stay here. Prepare some supplies for him. Don’t bring any food. Give him money. I still have twenty jin of grain coupons. Take them all with him.”
"Okay, I'll go get ready right away."
Liu Maocai lay down on the kang (a heated brick bed), feeling a mix of emotions. It wasn't entirely true that he clung to his rights, but the sudden loss left him with an emptiness.
I'm not an irresponsible person, nor am I incapable of handling this. Oh well, life will only get harder from now on, and being the village chief will be even more difficult.
Only by thinking this way can I make myself feel better.
After dinner, Liu Maocai told his children that he was no longer the village chief, and their reactions varied.
Liu Jianguo didn't react much. He knew his father would take him to the city to look for work tomorrow. Even if he didn't get a job, his father wouldn't be the village chief anymore, and life would still go on. As the eldest son, couldn't he choose his own path and make a living?
Liu Daya reacted the most strongly. How could she ever hold her head high in front of her friends again? No one would respect her anymore. No one would fawn over her anymore. How could this be? "Dad, what happened? Why did you quit being the village chief? Did they remove you from your post? How am I supposed to go out now? How am I supposed to find a good husband?"
The table fell silent immediately after she finished speaking. Everyone stared at her, even the two youngest, who seemed oblivious, glared angrily at their older sister.
But she didn't think she was wrong at all. "Did I say something wrong? The villagers will look down on us."
Er Ya felt that her sister had gone too far. "Dad, it's better if you don't become the village chief. These days, you'll just be taking the blame. It's better for our family to live our own lives. Besides, what benefits do you get from all the hard work? My mom does all the housework. It would be easier for her if you didn't become the village chief."
After hearing his second daughter's words, Liu Maocai realized that the hurt his eldest daughter had caused him earlier paled in comparison. He felt he had truly wasted his feelings for Daya. Even today, he had faced pressure to bring it up with his mistress. But now, seeing her selfish and cold-hearted nature, he decided to stick to his original plan: let her find a husband and get married.
My second daughter is so thoughtful; she even knows how to comfort me. I feel ashamed. I've neglected her before.
The two younger children knew the benefits of their father being the village chief, and their friends always gave in to them. However, they felt sorry for their father and thought it was better if he didn't take the position. Besides, the scene today had frightened the two younger children.
Liu Maocai rubbed his face. "Ming Jianguo, come with me to the city and pack your things. Cuihua, you can move the table, I'm tired."
Er Ya helped tidy up, saying, "Mom, I'm going to Hongmei's place. Leave the door open for me."
"Go ahead, but don't stay out too late."
Er Ya knocked on Zhang Hongmei's door. "Hongmei, my dad is no longer the village chief."
"What's the big deal? It would be even better if it weren't so, then you could take better care of the family."
"That's what I think too. My dad is taking my brother to the city tomorrow, and I reckon my brother will get a job."
"Is my third uncle going to the city tomorrow? Should I go too?"
"If you're going, go with my dad; it'll be safer that way."
"Let me think... I haven't gotten a letter of introduction yet. By the way, who's the village chief?"
"I don't know either? I forgot to ask."
"Sister Er Ya, you have such a big heart."
"Hehe, I really forgot. It doesn't matter who's in charge in our village. Grandma still makes the decisions."
"It would be great if women lived like Grandma. Strong women."
"You've got it. If you're going tomorrow, come to my house early. Otherwise, my dad's already gone. No, I have to go back and tell them. I'll ask you before I leave."
"Okay, let me think. The main thing is to return Liu Jingze's book; I've already read it all."
When Liu Erya came back, she went to find her father. "Dad, when you leave tomorrow, go and ask Hongmei if she's going to the city. She hasn't decided yet. Her letter of introduction hasn't been issued."
"Okay. I'll ask her when Ming leaves. You should go to sleep too."
Zhang Hongmei was picking peanuts in her online space. They were growing so well. There wasn't a single sieve, and she gave her six sheep an extra meal in the middle of the night, hoping they would grow fat and healthy.
I should go to the city tomorrow. Zhang Xingguo has been good to me. I can also ask about the situation there. Information is too limited here.
It wouldn't be good to go empty-handed. Luckily, I still have a few rabbits in my ring, but bringing them would be too conspicuous. I'll just bring the rest of the wild boar meat instead, which will be more acceptable.
When I get back from the city, I'll definitely ask Er Lengzi to take care of those wild rabbits; I really don't dare to do it myself. I've already developed a deep friendship with Er Lengzi, and I'll definitely think of him next time something good happens.
Before dawn the next day, I went to Liu Maocai's house. After finding out that I needed to get a certificate from Wang Hongxi, I rushed to Wang Hongxi's house.
"Uncle, please give me a letter of introduction. I need to go to the city with my third uncle. His former boss helped me with my parents' matter last time, and I want to go see him since there's not much work to do in the fields right now."
"Okay, I'll open it for you right now. By the way, how many days? Do you live in the city? Liu Maocai only offers one-day rentals."
"Let's do it today, I want to broaden my horizons too."
"Within five days?"
"Okay. Five days is enough."
Zhang Hongmei returned to Liu Maocai's house with the letter of introduction, and the three of them were driven to the county by Er Lengzi. Li Cuihua brought Liu Jianguo a lot of things, as if they were her own mother's.
Sitting in the car, Zhang Hongmei chatted with Er Lengzi, saying, "Brother Er Lengzi, when you have time, go check out the traps more often, so you don't let good stuff go to waste."
"Do you even need to tell me? I wish I could live there."
"Please don't! It's too dangerous!"
"I'm not stupid. You're so young but you worry so much. It would be great if the country were established, and then we could go and get government-subsidized food rations."
"It's not certain yet. I'll definitely think of you when something good happens."
"That's great. Don't worry about home, I'm here. Focus on your work outside."
The four of them arrived in the county and waited for the bus at the station. Er Lengzi took the bus home by himself.
"Uncle, do you know what time the car will arrive? We've been waiting for over half an hour."
"At 10:30, if you're tired, sit on your luggage."
“I’m not tired, I’m just anxious to wait. Uncle, I’m planning to stay in the city for a few days. Don’t worry, I’ll stay at my dad’s former boss’s house; he’s the head of the armed forces department.”
"Okay. How many days is your letter of introduction valid for? Don't be late, it'll be troublesome to take the bus."
"It's only for five days. I just want to have some fun outside. There's not much work to do in the fields right now."
The bus finally arrived. There weren't many passengers; there were only the three of them at this stop. The ticket seller checked their letters of introduction and found that each of them was 50 cents late on their ticket.
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